This story comes via "the Deacon's Bench" blog - the Archbishop of Santa Fe issued a pastoral letter about marriage, noting,
"We have three groups of people who are living contrary to the Gospel teaching on marriage: those who cohabit; those who have a merely civil union with no previous marriage; and those who have a civil union who were married before. These people are objectively living in a state of mortal sin and may not receive Holy Communion. They are in great spiritual danger."
and later:
"These people may not be commissioned as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, not only because of scandal, but even more because one commits the sin of sacrilege by administering a Sacrament in the state of mortal sin. Nor are such people to be admitted to the role of sponsor for Baptism or Confirmation, as is clearly stated on the Archdiocesan Affidavit for a Sponsor. It is critical for the sponsor to be a practicing Catholic – and can anyone be seriously called a practicing Catholic who is not able to receive the sacraments because they are living in sin?"
WOW!!! I'm sure this Bishop is going to get attacked with the whole "Does anything the Bishops say matter anymore because of the abuse crisis thing" - a sure sign that he's hitting on the mark. Let's pray for this Bishop, and let's pray that more Bishops decide to take up a stance on the wall while our culture is still salvageable!
Interesting perspective on civil marriage.
ReplyDeleteAlso interesting that Catholic Charities will assist in placing an adoptive child into a household where the male/female couple we only married by a Judge.